"He has a much better understanding of his strength and weaknesses now than two years ago," Jackson said. "He's able to take coaching now much better than he did before. That's important for Jordan because he's a really smart person, but sometimes he gets in his own way."

Some of Jackson's teachings of the triangle offense were foreign to Farmar, so he resisted them.

Farmar had been taught different fundamentals while playing for Woodland Hills Taft High and at UCLA, including to never jump in the air to make a pass, or dribble to the corner to start an offensive set, or to pick up the dribble before a pass or shot.

But all that is OK under Jackson.

"I would be like, 'I was taught my whole life that this is wrong,' " Farmar said Wednesday after practice. "So it was kind of a battle of trying to listen to them and trying to figure out how to get it done on my own. It was a battle and a struggle. It was just learning how to be a professional and what works for you."